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Welcome back to the Hot Ashes Podcast for our milestone Episode 50, featuring a very special guest: Georges, owner of Georges’ Cigar Shop and a true Lebanese legend.

Georges joins Lee, TK, and Dakota for an unforgettable conversation about cigars, Macallan 18, the Lebanese Civil War, dangerous combat missions, politics, faith, friendship, and how he created a cigar lounge that feels more like a family table than a business.

Georges shares how he went from joining Lebanon’s Christian forces at only 17 years old and serving as a bodyguard to Lebanese leader Bashir Gemayel, to becoming a tennis professional in Washington, D.C., and eventually operating some of the first cigar shops in North Carolina.

Along the way, you’ll hear incredible combat stories, firsthand accounts of historic political events, Georges’ dangerous journey out of Lebanon, and the remarkable story of how he built a new life in America. He also explains why, after everything he has experienced, he believes money means nothing without real friends.

If you enjoy cigars, war stories, Middle Eastern history, entrepreneurship, or raw storytelling from a man who has lived ten lifetimes, this episode is for you.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Episode 50 intro and microphone issues
00:28 What we’re smoking and drinking
01:47 Georges introduces himself and his background
03:58 Joining the Christian forces at 17
07:22 Lebanon’s mountains, cedars, and coastline
08:55 How political power is divided in Lebanon
10:49 Georges’ tennis career in Washington, D.C.
11:25 Opening his first cigar shops in North Carolina
12:31 Moving across the street to the current shop
15:44 Why Georges values friendship over money
17:18 Family tragedy and “eye for an eye” justice
31:58 Bashir Gemayel, Henry Kissinger, and Saudi Arabia
48:32 The Holiday Inn battle and an RPG in the garage
56:40 The warning before the Marine barracks bombing
1:09:02 A dangerous visa trip through Syria
1:13:01 Coming to America and building a new life

Subscribe to the Hot Ashes Podcast for more cigars, bourbon, military stories, history, and uncensored conversations from Georges’ Cigar Shop.

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